Voice of Kermit the Frog Claims Disney Fired Him, Says He’s ‘Devastated’

Steve Whitmire has voiced Kermit the Frog for 27 years, but it was recently announced that Whitmire would no longer take on the role of the beloved green muppet.

But there’s more to the story than the voice actor simply moving on.

Whitmire claimed he was fired by Disney as the voice of Kermit the Frog in a blog post on Thursday, July 13.

“As I am sure you can imagine, I have experienced every possible emotion since October 2016, when I received a phone call from The Muppet Studio’s executives to say they were recasting,” the 57-year-old wrote.

“Through a business representative, I have offered multiple remedies to their two stated issues which had never been mentioned to me prior to that phone call. I wish we could have sat down, looked at each other in the eye and discussed what was on their minds before they took such a drastic action,” he continued.

A spokesperson for the Muppets confirmed the puppeteer’s exit from the role.

“I have remained silent the last nine months in the hopes that the Disney company might reverse their course. Doing what is best for the Muppets is the lens through with all my interactions have been filtered,” he added.

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“Given the opportunity I remain willing to do whatever is required to remedy [Disney’s] concerns because I feel my continued involvement with the characters is in the best interest of the Muppets,” Whitmire went on to say.

The performer explained he created his website “to connect and share on all things Muppet, past, present, and future” with his fans, whom he thanked.

The voice actor also wrote an apology to those who believed he didn’t meet his obligations of his role as Kermit.

“I just want you all to know that I am sorry if I have disappointed any of you at any point throughout our journey and to let everyone know that I am devastated to have failed in my duty to my hero,” he said.

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